1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention relates to containers which are commonly referred to as beverage cans, and more particularly to an aluminum type of beverage container which has integrally incorporated within the top closure wall of the container an opening device which frangibly separates a panel from the remaining portion of the top closure wall thereby producing an access opening through which the contents of the beverage container can be removed.
2. Description of Prior Art
Beverage container opening devices that utilize a frangible seal have long been known. The most commonly used construction of frangible seal is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,421 issued to a John Ruemer, Jr., issued Sep. 6, 1983. A very basic patent in opening devices was issued to a F. J. Stec et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,250,425 issued May 10, 1966. The present inventor has also acquired a couple of patents in the same field, U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,835, issued Aug. 28, 1990 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,555, issued Jul. 21, 1992.
These beverage container opening apparatuses of the prior art all utilize a frangible panel within the lid of the beverage container. A handle is pivotally mounted on the lid and is to be movable within a plane perpendicular to the lid to cause breakage of the frangible seal between the panel and the lid to cause the panel to deflect inwardly into the interior of the beverage can exposing an access opening through which the contents of the beverage can be dispensed or in Stec, et al. the panel is removed outwardly.
The physical size of the beverage can is such that the free outer end of the handle is located directly adjacent the edge of the lid. These handles are mounted directly flush against the lid. It is difficult for most humans to use one's hand to initiate the upward pivoting of the handle from its flush position against the lid so that the handle can be moved to affect frangibly breaking of the panel from the remaining portion of the lid. As previously discussed in relation to the aforementioned patents, women commonly use their fingernails to lift and move the handle of the opening tab which results in nails being broken. Men generally do not have much of a fingernail and find it difficult to get the handle initially moved to affect the frangible separating from the lid.
In the past tools have been designed which are to engage the handle so that the handle can be initially lifted to a position which makes it easy for one to move the handle the remaining distance to frangibly separate the panel from the lid. However, these tools would require an additional piece of equipment that must be carried by an individual and if forgotten by an individual, no tool is available.
Within the prior art it is known to include some type of mechanism associated with the handle of the opening tab to facilitate the movement of the handle without the use of any tool. The aforementioned patents to the present inventor and the patent to Stec et al. clearly show and describe such devices. The basic concept of such devices is that the handle is to be movable first in a direction along the plane of the lid from a storage position to a usage position. During this movement the handle will rise up an inclined protuberance so that the outer free end of the handle becomes spaced from the surface of the lid. This spacing permits the easy location of a user's finger between the outer free end of the handle and the lid which then facilitates movement of the handle in a plane perpendicular to the lid to cause frangible separating of a scored panel from the lid.
However, within the patent to Stec et al., the handle must be moved to precisely the 6 o'clock position in order to provide for the removing of the pull tab. Also, within the aforementioned patents to DeMars and the patent to Ruemer Jr., the handle must be located at precisely the 6 o'clock position in order to achieve the desired frangibly separating of the panel from the lid.
It is desirable within the beverage industry to construct a beverage can opening device to be as foolproof as possible. The 6 o'clock position assures successful opening. However, with the desire to achieve easier lifting of the handle of the beverage opening device, storage of the handle away from the 6 o'clock position is proposed. Not every individual is going to understand, even in spite of specific instructions, that it is necessary to first pivot the handle from the storage position to a frangible seal breaking position prior to moving of the handle in the vertical plane in order to affect the separating of the panel along the frangible seal. Some individuals will merely, even though it is more difficult, directly begin to move the handle upward in a vertical plane without first moving the handle along the surface of the lid from the storage position to the frangible seal breaking position. In such an instance, when an individual eliminates the step of moving the handle from the storage position to the frangible seal position, it is desired by the beverage industry that the frangible seal still be broken. Companies which sell beverage products which include such a new opening method want to eliminate the chance of failure to be eliminated of the opening device if at all possible. Even if the device is misused, it is desirable to have the beverage container to be opened.
Within the prior art, if the handle is not located in almost precisely the 6 o'clock position and is lifted perpendicular to the lid, the breaking of the frangible seal will not occur. This definitely is an annoyance to most people even though the handle is not being operated in the manner in which it is intended to be used.